In Defense of the Defenseless

“Though war has a mind of its own, war never knows who it is going to hit.”

– Why War is Never a Good Idea

On February 28, 2026, on the very first day of the newest forever war with Iran, American forces double-tapped a girls' elementary school in Minab, killing nearly 200 innocent Iranian girls, teachers, and parents.   Mass funerals followed as families grieved their losses from one of the deadliest civilian attacks of the war.  To date, the Trump administration has taken no responsibility despite evidence to the contrary.  The Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, called the deaths unfortunate, while neocon influencers deemed the dead Iranians collateral damage, despite their intentional targeting.

In Alice Walker’s 2007 children’s book, “Why War is Never a Good Idea”, Walker focuses her anti-war ire on collateral damage, whether it be a frog, a river, or the loss of a dream.  Collateral damage in war refers to unintended deaths, injuries, or destruction caused by a military attack on non-combatants.  It can include loss of life, economic losses of property, and even trauma from losing one's community.  Suitable for children aged 4-8, Walker lauds some of the lesser-known victims of war. 

Since the start of World War I, more than 1.3 million American soldiers have died in both combat and non-combat events.  Vastly more civilian deaths have occurred not only from direct warfare, but also from ensuing famines and diseases as a result of the wars.  Since the start of the American republic, over 22 trillion in economic losses have been incurred in both the production of war and its aftermath. 

In addition to the loss of life, war also destroys man-made structures and exploits the environment.  In the Gaza Strip in 2026, over 90 percent of the land has been destroyed by Israeli bombing, as the war against Hamas and the Palestinians has raged on for nearly three years.  Four of the most catastrophic environmental events, in fact, include the United States.  From World War II to the Vietnam, Gulf, and Iraq wars, pollutants from the use of chemical weapons have contaminated everything from oceans to forests and natural habitats, leaving residue, dioxins, and emissions, affecting agriculture and once-clean water. 

Under the laws of war, some collateral damage is allowable if the original target was a legitimate military objective, civilian harm was not excessive, and precautions were taken to limit outside harm.  If not, war crimes can be applied to reckless disregard for civilian life or the infliction of intentional harm.    

The United Nations has now officially accused the United States of war crimes over the Minab bombing.  Under the Geneva Convention, a body of international treaties that cover the humanitarian treatment of civilians during war, violations against civilians can be viewed as war crimes with prosecutions in international courts.  Sentences can include life imprisonment and even the death penalty. 

War is indeed hell.  In addition to death and disability to soldiers and citizens alike, war inevitably affects the civilian population when buildings and communities are hit by either wayward or deliberate attacks, ending life as they knew it.

War is never a good idea because its worst consequences always hurt the innocent the most.